OUR SAY: Law attempting to instill ‘transparency’ is much ado about little

Some Michigan legislators want to require health insurance companies to tell policyholders how much the Affordable Care Act has added to their bill.

We have a few doubts about the usefulness and likely accuracy of such disclosure and the political forces behind it.

But in the interest of transparency, why not?

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The disclosure itself is reminiscent of monthly bills from cable television providers, which have included, prominently, a disclosure of the franchise fee charged by the local government. It was a defensive move, fending off criticism about high bills, as in “Look, we gotta pay this fee to the people you elected. Don’t blame us!”

The bill, recently reported out of a House committee, would require insurers to include the impact of taxes, assessments and other requirements through the ACA, also known as Obamacare, and to include a statement that the estimate is due to the law’s requirements, not due to laws passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor or regulations approved by state agencies.

In other words, “It’s not our fault.”

The bill’s sponsor, Clark Lake Repubican Rep. Mike Shirkey, said he differs from most of his Republican colleagues in that he’s not a strong opponent of all of the new law and was a key player in pushing Medicaid expansion, a component of the federal law, through the Legislature.

The bill, Shirkey said, would protect insurers from being improperly criticized for increases in premiums.

Perhaps. But it seems that protecting lawmakers is the primary aim. And insurance companies have complained that its provisions will increase their costs and administrative burden.

Democrats complain the bill is a political ploy and contend the notification to policyholders should also explain the benefits that make some plans more expensive but also more comprehensive.

All of which seems much ado about very little.

The concerns about notifying policyholders about cost increases and benefits resulting from Obamacare are on the minds of many as the law kicks in in earnest, flaws and all.

But in the not-too-distant future, assuming the Affordable Care Act survives its birthing intact, who’s going to care?